A beef cattle research facility

Beefcattle are the most important livestock in the agricultural economy of Texas. Central West Texas is the center of the U.S. cattle feeding industry producing twenty-two percent of the nation's supply of fed beef. During 1984, over five millon cattle were fed in this area, making Central West Texas cattle feeding a $3.5 billion industry. Beef is very popular, yet with greater national awareness of diet and health, the cattle feeding industry has had to place much emphasis on producing leaner beef. This has been accomplished to some extent with conventional research, but new technologies must be applied to make major advances in the economic efficiency of feeding cattle. The new existing facilities are soley pragmatic solutions consistíng of cormgated steel buildings with no regard to form, space, or image. Architecture, through form, space, and expression of technology and stucture, can enhance the educatíonal and research aspects of the agricultural industry and possibly give it its own new image.